Heinrich Statement on White House Executive Action to Keep Families Together, Strengthen Economy
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on President Biden’s executive action to keep families together and speed up approval of work permits for Dreamers:
“For Dreamers, America is the only home they’ve ever known. Now, thanks to President Biden’s executive action, Dreamers will be able to better access work visas and keep their families together, a win for our communities and a win for our economy. It's in our national interest to ensure that families are able to stay together as they work through the immigration process and to have those who are educated in the U.S. use their skills and education to benefit our country.
“While this is a major step forward, it is no substitute for the comprehensive immigration reform we need. Congress still needs to pass legislation to provide Dreamers a swift path to full citizenship, expand fair legal immigration pathways, and invest in our border communities at the scale needed.
“I applaud President Biden’s executive action today and urge him to continue to exercise his authority to keep families together and strengthen our economy. As families work their way through these new processes, my office stands ready to help.”
Background:
Heinrich has long been a leading advocate for Dreamers in New Mexico and has repeatedly called on Republicans in Congress to pass the Dream Act without delay. Heinrich has also led bicameral legislation called the Protect Dreamer Confidentiality Act to safeguard the private information— such as addresses and telephone numbers— of Dreamers protected under DACA to ensure they are not targeted for deportation.
In February, Heinrich joined U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 25 of their colleagues to file the Dream Act as an amendment to the National Security Supplemental. Durbin first introduced the Dream Act more than 20 years ago. In 2010, Durbin sent a letter, joined by then-Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), asking then-President Obama to stop the deportation of Dreamers. President Obama responded by announcing the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program. More than 800,000 Dreamers have since come forward and received DACA, which has allowed them to contribute more fully to their country as teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, and small business owners.
The Dream Act was included in the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill that Heinrich supported and that passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan vote of 68-32. The Republican leadership of the House of Representatives refused to consider that bill. Over the years, Senate Republicans have filibustered the Dream Act numerous times.
Under the DACA program, Dreamers are protected from deportation for now. But due to lawsuits by extreme Republicans, their fates are in the hands of a Republican-appointed federal judge who has repeatedly found DACA and other programs like it unlawful.
Former President Donald Trump attempted to terminate the DACA program on September 5, 2017, throwing the lives of nearly 700,000 Dreamers into chaos, before the program was reinstated by a federal court.
Last September, a federal judge in Texas declared the DACA program illegal. Though the decision left in place protections for current DACA recipients while the appeal is pending, they live in fear that the next court decision will upend their lives.
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